The doctor tapped a few keys on his laptop. “The tests were able to rule out several things. And it’s through the elimination of some things and the results of other tests that we were able to determine what you are dealing with.”
Amelia gripped the mug tightly as the doctor went over each of the tests they’d done, revealing how the results ruled certain things in or out.
She appreciated his thoroughness, but her nerves wished he’d just get to the point.
Finally, he got around to labelling what she had. Not just one, but two different conditions. Neither were completely unknown to Amelia. Using her symptoms, she’d done her own research, and both conditions had come up, along with a slew of other options.
Amelia was glad that the doctor was quite clinical in his delivery because if he hadn’t been, she thought maybe she would have broken down in tears. She’d cried plenty over her physical struggles, but it had never been in the presence of others.
That wouldn’t be changing that morning.
Still, as she listened to the doctor give his final thoughts, Amelia felt deflated. The official diagnosis brought clarity, so that was good. But knowing what she had didn’t change the path she was on.
This wasn’t going to be something she could get over. There was no end in sight to her health challenges. She was going to have to learn to live with her diagnosis and manage her symptoms.
“We have some medications for you,” the doctor said as Rachel set a clear plastic bag on the table with pill bottles inside. “I’m going to have Rachel keep in regular touch with you, and she will be your main point of contact for any concerns or questions you might have.”
“So you’ll continue to oversee my care?” Amelia asked.
“Yes. Julian told me in our initial conversation about you that this would be an ongoing relationship. At the start, I’d like you to have a weekly video call with Rachel. During those conversations, you can tell her how you’re feeling and what yoursymptoms are like, and how the medication is working. If you experience a flare, let her know that and if you think there might be something that triggered it. We’ll make adjustments to your medication based on what you tell us.”
“In addition to the weekly call, you can contact me at any time,” Rachel said. “You’ll have my direct number.”
“At the start, we’re going to do monthly bloodwork and try to get you to a stable spot.”
“Where do I get the bloodwork done?”
“We’ll have you go to a private lab in Coeur d’Alene. Or if that’s not convenient, I’m sure we can have someone come to you here in Serenity Point.”
Amelia shook her head. “I can go there.”
It was the least she could do when they were taking care of so much for her.
“The medications will be delivered to you as needed.”
As the doctor explained more details about what she should watch for and what, beyond medication, she could do to help control her symptoms, Amelia tried to take it all in. She appreciated how thorough he was being, but she was overwhelmed.
“Don’t worry if you don’t remember everything,” the doctor said, clearly picking up on her feelings. He tapped a binder that was on the table. “We’ve compiled everything here for you to read through. Plus, you can always ask Rachel any questions you have.”
The rest of their meeting passed in a blur for Amelia, and there came a point when all she wanted was to get back to the security of her apartment so she could break down.
But before she went, there was just one more thing she needed to know.
“Could I still get pregnant with this diagnosis?”
The doctor gave her a long look, but he didn’t seem to be surprised by the question.
“Pregnancy would be considered high-risk, but not impossible. If that’s something you are considering, we’ll work with you to make sure the timing is good, and then we’d closely monitor you and the baby. Information on that is included in the binder as well.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“Do you have any other questions?” the doctor asked.
She wasn’t sure how to respond to that. There was so much she wanted to know, but there was no room left in her brain.
“I don’t think so.”
After that, their meeting ended. Rachel accompanied Amelia back down to the foyer of the hotel, once again assuring her that she could call with any questions or concerns she might have.
